Researchers develop functional 3-D printed ovaries that can produce offspring

Can you imagine 3-D printed ovaries that can produce offspring? Researchers at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and McCormick School of Engineering have made this possible by replacing a female mouse’s ovary with a bioprosthetic ovary. The ovary could ovulate, and eventually the mouse gave birth to pups and even nursed them. According to the research team, using the right material to create the ovary and using an appropriate structure to support its function played a crucial role. They used gelatin as ink since it is organic and safe for use in animals. The ovary was structured using controlled placement of filaments, a technique that is possible only in 3-D printing. According to them, the primary objective of this research is to develop bioprosthetic ovaries that would enable infertile women, particularly those who have survived cancer and have fertility and hormonal problems, to conceive and give birth.   

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